By Melissa Garza
Cathy (Kristy Swanson), Chris (Jeb Stuart Adams), Cory (Ben Ryan Ganger) and Carrie (Lindsay Parker) have their lives shaken when their doting father dies. Their mother Corrine (Victoria Tennant) runs out of money, sells their home, and moves them all in with their grandmother Olivia (Louise Fletcher).
Corrine and her parents had a falling out years prior, but with nowhere else to go, she returns home. Olivia puts the children in a room upstairs and locks the door behind them. With bars on the window, the oldest children, Cathy and Chris instantly get a look of panic on their faces but remain strong for the younger children.
Olivia is more than strict and tells the children that they were an abomination since conception as Corrine had married her own uncle and was now there to repent. Forced to remove her shirt in front of her father and be whipped with a lash 17 times, Corrine is then made to reveal the punishment to her children.
The children are instructed to be quiet at all times, as the grandfather who is on his deathbed doesn’t know they exist. They are told once he dies and Corinne is forgiven that she will come back and share the estate making all their dreams come true.
They are told about the stairs to the attic and are given consent to go there but are reminded never to be seen. They go up there and find a huge room filled with mannequins, mirrors, clothes and all sorts of old eccentric antiques. Cathy and Chris check the windows but are dismayed to find those too have bars ensuring no escape.
At first, Corrine visits her children constantly, but soon the visits stop coming altogether. Assuming the worst, they decide they must get passed Olivia to help their mother – if she was still living. Chris works to remove the bars off the window and they climb on top of the roof. They throw a rope down and start to escape only to be greeted by bright lights, big dogs and a man with a gun. They race back up to the attic. The next day, Corrine shows up in lavish clothing and reprimands them for trying to escape. She assures them that her father is almost dead and that the will would be read soon.
Meanwhile, Corrine has elegant dinners downstairs and is welcomed back into the family. She receives expensive gifts and goes out on dates with new wealthy men. Cathy and Chris finally escape and go downstairs to find their grandfather who from his deathbed grabs them both.
Corrine makes another visit to announce that her father loves her and is throwing her a lavish party. When they aren’t happy for her, she storms out angry ignoring the fact that her children are starving and sick. Chris and Cathy sneak out to see the party and witness Corrine becoming engaged to another man.
Little Cory gets sick and is near death when Olivia and Corrine finally agree to take him to a hospital. Instead, a grounds-worker is seen digging four graves. When Cory’s pet mouse dies it is soon realized that Cory was poisoned to death with powdered cookies. Knowing that their fates are soon to be the same, they know they have no choice but to escape. Pale, thin, and getting sicker by the day they work on their plan to leave.
Chris runs downstairs to steal some rings or anything of value so that when they escape they have something to get them started. Instead, he sees Corinne telling her fiancé they are to be wed the next day. They wait until morning, when Olivia comes in to bring the food, Christopher knocks her down and the three children run into the wedding party where the final confrontation between Corinne and her children take place.
From start to finish, the movie is gripping. One can’t help but hate Corinne and everything she becomes even more-so than the always evil Olivia. With the grandparents, they have always been evil and diabolical, but at least on the surface Corinne attempts to show some maternal concern which diminishes as she sees the amount of money she can inherit.
This is definitely a great Sunday afternoon flick. Currently, on Netflix Instant-Watch, it is an easy find and a really good movie. Though the scares are few and far between, and it’s more of a drama than a horror – it is definitely something that grabs a hold and doesn’t let go.
Scared Stiff Rating 8/10
